Stress-Reducing Techniques to Help Cope with School or College

Today we have a guest post from Isaiah Banks who is a full-time graduate student studying health care administration. During his undergraduate studies, he realized academic stress was overtaking his life. He investigated stress-reducing techniques, which allowed him to study effectively and, he hopes, will eventually prepare him for healthcare management jobs. 

Image provided by Sara V. from Flickr’s Creative Commons

It’s no secret that school can be stressful. Pursuing a degree requires a student to perform at his or her absolute best. If this stress is left unchecked, it can be devastating to a student’s overall success, not to mention their entire well-being.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to keep stress in check. Each technique will work differently, depending on your preferences as well as your mind and body. Take time to thoroughly practice each to find one, or even several,  that will work best for you.

Techniques to Reduce Your Stress

The can significantly below reduce stress. Explore these strategies until you find one that is right for you.

• Meditation – The state of your body and mind have a profound effect on your ability to handle pressure and conflicts. Pressure from professors, as well as internal conflicts, are a major source of stress. Regularly meditating can prevent stress from building up. Take time at the beginning of each day to sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Attempt to clear your mind by focusing entirely on your breath. Count the length of your inhales and your exhales. This will provide your brain with more oxygen, and you’ll start the day with a clear head.
• Time Management – One of the biggest sources of stress in a student’s life is worry. They worry about not getting everything done, worry about upcoming projects and worry about fitting in an active social life. However, this source of stress can be entirely eliminated by enacting a time management strategy. At the beginning of each week, create a schedule with everything you are required to complete. Include studying, classroom hours and projects that are due. Now, you can clearly see how the week ahead of you will transpire.
  
• Proper Nutrition – According to the Mayo Clinic, having a well-balanced diet can alleviate stress by providing your mind and body the nutrients they need to function. When you do not receive required nutrients, your body goes into panic mode. This is aggravated by the external stresses of school. Depending on your degree, you may be aware that nutrition has a profound effect on a person’s ability to think clearly. Someone pursuing a master in health administration or a similar degree has likely covered this phenomenon in their studies.
  
• Leisure Time – Schedule time to do whatever it is that you enjoy — whether this means relaxing on the couch, sitting by the pool or spending time with friends. Leisure time can help you process and release accumulated stress. Make an effort to not think or talk about your studies to maximize the quality of your leisure time.
  
• Disconnecting from Electronics– The modern world is one of constant connection. It’s important to take time out of your day to disconnect. Turn off your laptop, smartphone and tablet. Don’t turn on the TV, either. Simply relax by yourself without having to process any external stimuli. This will significantly allow you to reduce and release stress.

Stress Can Be Avoidable

Carefully explore the above techniques to become a considerably less-stressed student. You’ve taken time to study, completed projects and done everything in your power to earn high grades. You owe it to yourself to put this same amount of effort into finding a way to reduce stress throughout your education. Not only will mastering one or two of these techniques help you make the most of your studies, it will also help you in your career and personal life. Forming a lifelong habit to cut down on stress can lead to a longer, happier and altogether more fulfilling life.

About the Author: Isaiah Banks is a full-time graduate student studying health care administration. During his undergraduate studies, he realized academic stress was overtaking his life. He investigated stress-reducing techniques, which allowed him to study effectively and, he hopes, will eventually prepare him for healthcare management jobs.